In a method and apparatus for the electronic distribution of digitised information on demand, remote and/or local mass data stores are used to store digitised information for use in the generation of products such as software media. Available products and related information can be searched, browsed and requested at a local fulfilment unit; or requests can be made remotely. The products generated and associated packaging, certificates of authenticity, instruction manuals and licence numbers may optionally include customer specific information, and customer given personalisation. Additional security features include storing essential parts of the digitised information remotely so that products can not be generated using only locally stored information; and recording the digitised information on the at least final segments of longer than standard format CDs preventing complete copies onto CDs of standard format.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of processing returns from customers to a local site of digital information products previously purchased by the customers, each product comprising physical media storing customer-selected digital information and a unique electronic code, the method comprising: (a) receiving, at the local site, a request from a customer for a selected digital information product comprising physical media storing customer-selected digital information; (b) sending, from the local site to a remote licensing control center, a release request associated with said selected digital information product in response to the request from the customer; (c) obtaining, at the local site, a unique electronic code sent from the remote licensing control center in response to the release request; (d) authorizing, at the local site, physical production of said selected digital information product in response to obtaining said unique electronic code; (f) generating the selected digital information product, at the local site, by storing on the physical media said customer-selected digital information and by recording on the physical media the unique electronic code; (g) producing media packaging for said selected digital information product; (h) accepting for return from the customer at the local site said selected digital information product comprising physical media storing said customer-selected digital information and said unique electronic code; (i) reading from the returned media, at the local site, said unique electronic code which is stored upon it; (j) identifying from said unique electronic code a licence number of the selected digital information product and details of an original product generation request for the said digital information product; (k) validating the selected digital information product by reporting the electronic code to the remote licensing control center and verifying said electronic code; and (l) preventing the returned media from subsequently being re-used by physical destruction of the media at the local site.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the electronic code is checked for validity before the return is authorised.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the electronic code is checked to ensure that a media having such a code has not previously been accepted for return before the return is authorised.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , the method further comprising the step of reporting a successful return of the physical media to the central site.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 22, 2005
February 3, 2009
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